The Wolf's Cry
by Armed'n'Strangerous
Summary: Curiosity becomes a nuisance as the Lies and Cover-Ups she's known as Truth and Real Life, peel away. Ancient longings unearth themselves in Modern Time, as one girl searches for what she feels and believes in as the Real Truth. -We Strive at Confusion-
1. Beginning

Pronunciation:

Ai (AH ee)

Akiye (AH kee ya)

(Yes, yes. Another Koga based fanfiction.) *Sweatdrop*

This is set in an AU (Alternative Universe), so some things are different. But I've had this one in my head for over a year now, and it's been keeping me from working on other things. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. :)

But here's "The Wolf's Cry".

* * *

It was disgustingly humid out in one of the better parts of Japan as two girls (one trudging, the other skipping) made their way home from a long day of school. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was beating down on the sidewalk making one of the girls feel weighed down even though she was only wearing her light summer uniform; she was thankful that they'd be reaching their home in just a few more blocks. She had been fading in and out of reality as her eyes glazed over at her twin's chattering about 'how kawaii' the new student was in her class and how she was hoping he was single.

Akiye sighed as she daydreamed about large wolves stampeding down the street, causing a dust storm and knocking cars and bikes out of the way…

"Hey, Akiye!" Ai snapped her fingers at her twin after noticing the familiar zoned out look she had.

_She's getting better at telling when I'm not listening to her…_"…yeah?" She just blinked at her sister sulkily.

"I was talking to you about serious matters and here you are just totally ignoring me and going off to 'La-La Land'!" She pouted.

Akiye blinked again and forced a smile, trying to make her sister believe she was interested.

"Really I wasn't," She tried a grin, but it fell off to the side, "Just a little tired from the sun; it makes me feel out of it."

Ai started at her, looking her up and down in an analyzing way. "Says the girl with the tanned skin. I have pale skin and _I_ feel fine." She said; worry tinting her tone even though she was mocking her.

Akiye sighed, looking at the skin on her bare arms. _She has a point. _Even though they were twins, the biggest difference between them was their skin and personality. Ai could tan, but she preferred to be pale while Akiye just spent a lot of time outdoors which in turn caused her skin to darken.

She scrunched her face into a disgruntle look before glancing at her sister. Ai raised an eyebrow, showing she wasn't going to let her get away with not explaining what was wrong.

Akiye smiled nervously. "It's nothing. I just didn't get much sleep is all."

A second eyebrow rose.

"Seriously!"

"You _always_ use that excuse."

"Well then I guess I have _insomnia_." She snapped.

"Hey, no need to bite my head off. I'm just trying to help you. You're always out of it now days!" Ai glared. _She's hiding something._

Akiye glowered and stormed past her sister at full speed.

"Hey!"

Ai ran after her trying to keep up. _Well we're making up the time we spent arguing, then getting home…_

Soon their anger-induced running brought them up the fenced in walkway leading to the front door.

"Aki!" Ai lunged for her twin but only got a hold of the other girl's legs, causing her to be tumbled upon by her sister. Soon it was a pushing, shoving and hitting fight on the small walkway. Half-hearted it may have been they both received a sold smack to their heads from the bars of the fencing.

Within five minutes, their scuffle was obviously heard and the two were soon doused with cold water from a pitcher; held by their mother.

Both looked with shocked eyes (Mainly from the water's temperature) at the red haired woman before them.

Ai blanched, "Sorry 'kaa-san!" In which she then launched herself from her position of a hand palm out connected to her Sister's face.

_Kiss up…_ Akiye thought gloomily. She got up and dusted herself off as best she could.

In mid lecture, Ayame glanced at her youngest; a disappointing look on her face.

"Akiye, why must you two always fight? I could understand verbally, but _physically?_ You're both almost fully-grown and yet you still act like this._"_ She sighed and looked them both long and hard dead in the eyes.

Akiye averted her gaze to the ground. Her mother was capable of making her feel guilty at times where she believed she shouldn't have felt bad. It wasn't her fault that her sister couldn't mind her own business and tackled her.

Their mother frowned and closed her green eyes before looking sharply at Ai. "And Ai, you're the eldest, yet you act like you're a child." She sighed again.

'Only by two-minutes…' Akiye grumbled.

Ayame looked over at Akiye, frowning deepening, "What was that?"

Akiye twitched, not realizing her inner thought had become an outer one.

"Nothing."

Their mother made a non-committed noise in the back of her throat (Which sounded much too like a growl for Aki's liking) before bringing a hand to her mouth, coughed like she was covering it up, and turned on her heel towards their house seeming flustered.

Akiye stared at her mother's receding back for awhile in confusion until her sister pulled on her short sleeve.

"We need to pick up our bags." She said quietly. Akiye looked down, realizing that their stuff had been thrown to the ground in their fight on the walkway. Akiye sighed bending over to pick up their stuff which from being hit by the bars had been thrown everywhere on the path.

When they were sure they had gotten every piece of their school work back in their bags, they slowly made it inside.

Upon entering Ai started taking her shoes off and laying them to the side before sitting down on the front step to the stairway that lead up to the second floor, waiting for her twin to finish taking her shoes off.

Akiye grumbled sitting down to take her shoes off, glancing at her twin. For a scuffle, she didn't look too messed up. All that showed was some dirt on her uniform and a slight bump forming on the front of her head that showed their physical argument from earlier.

Akiye mentally giggled to herself, thinking how her dear twin would react to having her pretty little face marred by a red bump and what perfect timing too what with the new 'kawaii' student in Ai's class.

"What are you laughing about?"

Akiye stopped, looked at her sister and grinned.

"Nothing."

"Oh not that again…" Ai muttered, rubbing her sore head. 'Nothing' seemed to be the cause of all their problems right now. She stopped though, when she reached the highest point of her new bump before her eyes grew big and a look of terror crossed her face.

Akiye bit her lip from bursting out laughing when Ai practically ripped herself up the stairs to the bathroom they shared. Aki couldn't contain it anymore and chased after her twin, taking much delight out of guessing what her sister's reaction would be once she saw the bump in the mirror.

When she came up to the bathroom, she found the door closed and locked. _She was expecting me to come up. I guess I'm too predictable._

"How does it look Sis?" She grinned laying her back against the closed door.

She heard a load groan and she could practically feel the glare though the door aimed at her from Ai.

"You're horrible, you know that?"

"And why's that?"

"Because had you of just _told _me what's on your mind, and not thrown a little fit like _you're_ the child, as 'kaa-san called _me_, this nasty bump could have been avoided!" She yelled, obviously hearing the smile in her twin's voice.

Akiye glared through the wood back.

"Yeah, well I have good reason _not_ to!" She said back.

"_Like?_"

Ai waited for an answer and she excepted a loud out burst, not the quiet mumbling that she got in its stead. She unlocked the door some and peeked out a bit. She swore the answer sounded distinctly 'Because it's stupid…' or something like it at least. But when she looked out she saw nothing but empty hall.

_Oh Aki, I think that two minute difference in age is more like two _years_…_

---

Akiye huffed at her straight cut bangs out of boredom. She knew that she acted like a brat all day, and got what she deserved (Stupid bump) but it didn't mean she did it out of spite. She had her reasons, and she wasn't the type to go talk about them.

She curled herself tighter around one of her large pillows and stared at the wall. She just couldn't place it was why, she reasoned. This weird feeling she had, like she was at home, but didn't _feel _like she was.

_Like a hotel, _she thought, _where everything looks and may feel nice, but it's not your home. No matter how comfortable it is._

She started to doze off again, this time imagining a large field with wild flowers and birds she couldn't name flying over head. It felt familiar, yet foreign. The longer she tried to focus things out, a deeper rest took hold of her and soon she was running with a pack of wild creatures that howled and cried like nothing she'd ever heard before. It frightened her yet made her yearn for something at the same time…

'…_aki…aki…'_

"Akiye, wake up!" Aki jolted up, nearly colliding with her mother's chin.

"Are you all right dear…? You look terrified." Her mother stared at her with tight lips and a concerned look, like she was worried she'd collapse at any second.

"I'm fine 'kaa-san." She said, "Just a bad dream."

Her mother studied her for a minute before sniffing delicately. "You _were_ sleeping pretty hard…" She trailed off, trying to see if she could detect her words to be a lie; she didn't seem very convinced. Akiye held her breathe, nervous her lie was caught. "Well dinner's ready…so come down after you wash up. You're still in your school uniform even…"

Akiye sighed in relief, "Will do." She grinned and gave a two-finger salute before heading to the bathroom, but not without catching the flinch that went across her mother's face.

--

Almost half an hour later, Aki bounded down the stairs wearing a clean pair of shorts and a tank top, following the sweet smell of seasoned and cooked meat to the large dining room where everything was being laid out.

Her sister was already helping with putting dishes and silverware on the table, even though there was a servant to do so.

It took only a few minutes before everything was set up and their mother came down to join them.

Aki and Ai were enjoying the pot stickers when the phone in the living room went off. The twins looked at each other, both wondering the same thing.

Their mother got up to answer it, and when they heard the click of the phone leaving the cradle, Aki started talking.

"Who do you think is calling? It's too late to be any of your friends…" She said. Ai thought about it before responding.

"Don't know. Maybe it's one of 'kaa-san's friends." She replied before she went back to her crescent shaped pot sticker with a pleased look as she chewed.

"Hm…" Aki trailed off, glancing at the door.

"Don't you think about it!" Her sister mumbled to her.

"Think about what…?" She tried to sound innocent.

"_You_ know perfectly well what I'm talking about." She stated, setting her bowl of rice down and giving her sister a hard look.

Aki chuckled.

"What?"  
"When have I ever listened to you?" She smiled sweetly. Ai glared, grabbing her pair of chopsticks menacingly.

"You _used_ to; but of course, that was _before_ puberty hit for you." She said bitingly.

Aki snickered before she slunk off her chair like she used to as a child, crawled over and knelt next to the open door frame, listening for any give to who was on the phone.

"You're so nosy…" Ai muttered from her chair, before digging into her food.

"Yeah, well I don't see you giving me much of a fight about eavesdropping on 'kaa-san…"

"It's a useless battle."

Akiye rolled her eyes and went back to listening in.

"…_I know, I know…the girls are fine though…" _She heard an exasperated sigh, "_I just hope he keeps…promise nothing…just keeping them away…"_

"Miss…?"

Akiye yelped as the kitchen servant tapped her on the shoulder, startling her from her task. She turned around to look at him.

"Oh, hey..." She grinned sheepishly. He stared at her for a moment before sighing and shaking his head.

"Doing such deeds isn't very wise."

Aki blinked at him, guilty for getting caught and mad for not being slick enough to get away with it. Thankfully this was a new kitchen servant and didn't know her as well as the previous one who had been with them since she was young and knew her ways.

"Sorry." She wrinkled her nose at him, then did her best to save face and got back in to her chair to finish her food, which was obviously cold by now.

The soft padding of feet alerted the occupants that Ayame had finished the phone call, and she soon entered the dining room again.

"Sorry about that, girls." She said, smiling as she sat down, giving their servant a curt nod to which he bowed lightly and made his way back into the kitchen. She looked back at the girls, smiled (A forced one? Aki guessed) and resumed eating.

Akiye stared at her mother for a while longer, trying to figure out what was wrong; she seemed stressed and flustered compared to the calm presence she'd had before answering the phone. What was the person talking about with her? And for that matter, _who_ was that person?

She bit her lip, picking at what was left on her plate and throwing her twin looks that she knew her sister would understand. She needed to talk.

Ai noticed the looks Akiye was giving her but refused to _show_ she did. She was still bitter about the fight; including the attitude Aki had been having all day. She sighed. _I remember when she _used _to be happy…what's gotten so under her skin lately?_ Her thoughts her interrupted however when her mother put a hand on hers.

"How was school today, dear? You two didn't really get the chance to tell me what with everything that _happened_ on your way home…" She let the sentence hang, not needing to finish it. Aki stared at the wall. _And here she just cracked the dam that is Ai's _mouth_…_

Ai grinned, pleased that someone was interested, and went on explaining about everything that happened (Mainly circulating around _boys_, Aki huffed mentally)

"He's super kawaii and smart, too."

"That's wonderful." Ayame smiled (Sadly?), gaining a far off look.

Aki glanced over, _That explains where my doped look comes from apparently…_She half rolled her eyes and settled them on the fixture on the ceiling, tuning out the boy-talk her twin and mother were having. _That light is so ugly…you'd think with the money 'kaa-san got from great-gramp's will, she'd use it with a slightly better taste…just plain white…why not red? Or brown, too…_

"How was your day, Aki?" Ayame turned her eyes to Akiye, noticing she was zoning out again.

_Is no one allowed to think to themselves in this house?!_

"It was okay. I survived, right?" She grinned. She got two pairs of blinking eyes; she guessed the joke was funny the first hundred times, but not by the two hundredth...

"Yeah…" She picked at her nail polish, trying to get over the blank looks. "So how 'bout your day, 'kaa-san?" _Subject change…_

"It was pleasant. I spent the day helping a friend with her shopping list; getting married and all and she couldn't stand doing it all by herself."

Akiye wrinkled her nose, _Marriage? Bleh…_

Ai brightened, "A wedding? Are we invited?"

Ayame smiled back, "Of course. I wouldn't be helping as much as I am if we weren't."

Akiye sighed; glancing at the two she called her family, wishing she could become excited like her twin and talk about 'Girly' things like they did and not feel so weird about it.

"Can I be excused?" Aki asked. Ayame and Ai stopped in their chattering. Their mother looked at the clock on the decorative end table in the corner of the room.

"My, time sure flew by." She said, "But you hardly touched your dinner, Aki."

Akiye stared at her cold, picked at food before meeting her mother's gaze.

"Not really hungry." Ai glared at her sister, knowing full well that if she hadn't been eavesdropping instead of eating, she wouldn't be in this mess.

Aki looked back at her twin with a pleading 'Help Me' look but was met with an air of 'Screw You' then the sympathy she was looking for.

She looked back at her mother, "I'll just wrap it up and reheat it later."

"Mm, alright; just as long as you _do_ eat it, okay?" She said before she pushed herself up and out of her chair. Ai followed suit and soon the kitchen doors opened to show the kitchen servant coming in to clean up.

Aki watched him as she gave picked up her plate and chopsticks and setting them in the large grey bin he'd brought out, grabbed a few near by things and put those in as well before she was shooed off by the servant. She grinned and stuck her tongue at the man, then left for her bedroom.

Ayame sighed at her daughter's actions. "Please tell the cook that tonight's dish was delicious." The kitchen servant smiled and bowed.

"He'll be pleased to hear such, thank you." He grabbed the bin and left for the kitchen again.

She turned and found Ai and Akiye and already left, sighed for what felt like the thousandth time, and went to go to her private quarters to bathe and hopefully get some peace.

--

It was around midnight when Ayame stepped up to her opened window, staring at the crescent moon that hung over head. She closed her eyes, enjoying the soft glow before opening them once more; her pupils small black slits in her eyes.

It was times like these where she wished she could run free again. Just let it all go and run through the trees and grass…maybe she could? Just for a moment or two…

Her nails sharpened and her canines elongated and she sighed in contentment as she soon felt the burning on the tips of her ears as they went from being rounded to pointed. She missed her truest form; along with everything she'd given up for her girls. She walked across the wood flooring towards a specific plank and pulled it up; revealing a pile of white furs and metal.

She slid to the floor, staring longingly at it. The past was hard to forget when you hid pieces of it in your room.

"I see you've let yourself go again, Ayame." There was a rustle of leaves as something heavy hit the frame of the window.

Ayame whirled around, glaring at the new occupant.

"What the hell do you want?" She snapped.

The person laughed, "Such a change you made from that domesticated dotting female to who you _really_ are." It cracked up again, "One would think you suffered from MPD."

She slid the plank back into place harsher then needed before getting up and going to the window; full intent of pushing the visitor out of it (And on his head, she hoped).

Said visitor was a male of average height but a not so average look to him with his pointed ears and the glint of a fang peeking out from his grinning lips. He currently was sitting on his haunches like he owned the window.

"I told you _and _your friends to stop coming around here." She growled out. She was tired of him and the other males that came around taunting her.

His grin turned into a smirk, enjoying the rise he was getting out of her.

"Chill out," He said, "I just wanted to talk."

"And what makes you think I want to?" She glared.

"Because it involves your cubs, of course." He responded. "Seems to me that they're making the others curious. What with you being without a Mate and them looking only slightly like you? That sort of thing and especially one of them; she looks hardly anything like you."

Ayame glowered, "They're _girls_, not _cubs._" She stated, "And if you even_ think _about coming near either of them, I will hunt you down." The last five words said as bitingly as possible.

"Come now Ayame!" He mock-chided, "You didn't think you could keep them hidden forever, did you? They have a right to know who and _what_ they are." He leered at her.

"They're living a normal, _safe_ life compared to the rotten one you all live." Her glare deepened.

"Normal? Safe? Yes. But is it _really _what they want?" He smirked, "If things get out of hand, from what I can tell from the one girl's actions I've been seeing for the past few days, you know where to find us." With that, he shifted forms from human to canine and back flipped off the frame.

Ayame rushed forward to find the once two legged man now a four legged wolf, landing heavily on his paws. He turned his furry head around, gave a wolfish grin, tongue hanging out before dashing off into the neighborhood, not caring who saw.

A haunting howl followed shortly, as Ayame slid to the floor in a heap of stress. So much for peace.

* * *

Like I said, AU. *Sweatdrop*

Please review! I need opinions on this story since its a bit weirder then most...

Thank you~

~A'n'S


	2. Cry in the Night

Chapter Two:

Mm…I have an ill feeling towards this story. Something negative will come from this, most likely? :[ Unfortunately my predictions don't disappoint their impending outcomes.

* * *

In the early hours of the morning, Akiye bolted from her comfortable position in bed and looked towards the window, alert.

_Wha…? What was that?_ The sound repeated itself once more before the night became silent. It made her uneasy and vulnerable the more she tried to figure out what the noise was. She wanted to get up and look outside, but was afraid that whatever had made that noise was close by.

Making up her mind, she slipped from her bed and headed towards the door being as quiet as possible. She hadn't done this in years, she thought to herself. Tip-toeing her way down the hall to her right she came to the first closed door before opening it half-way; peeking in. All she saw were shadows and a lump in a bed to her left. She opened the door enough to where she was able to slip in and closed the door behind her.

"Ai." She whispered her twin's name before she got closer. She tried again but her sister was dead to the world in her rest. She shuffled over before climbing into the bed and poking Ai's arm.

"Ai?" She poked a bit harder. "Aaiii." Jab, jab. That worked; Ai snapped her eyes open and gave her sister a curious and annoyed look.

She yawned before rubbing her eyes and glancing at her pink alarm clock. "It's nearly one in the morning, Aki." She gave a drowsy glare at being woken up, "You should be sleeping."

Aki bit her lip before responding, "I know that, but I couldn't sleep; something woke me up." She frowned.

"Like what?" She yawned again.  
"Like a really creepy howling noise. You didn't hear it?" It was hard to believe, considering how the noise was still ringing in her ears. It scared her how a sound would spook her so and not leave her alone. That'd never happened before.

"No, I didn't." Ai said. She looked at her windows. "Are your windows open?"

Akiye thought over it. She may have left one open.

"Maybe."

"Well there's your answer; mine are closed. You must have heard it because there was an opening into your room." She pushed herself into a comfortable sitting position, fully awake now.

Aki stared at the posters on her sister's walls, pondering over the noise she'd heard. She still had goose bumps and her heart was still buzzing, but…it made her feel something else, but she couldn't conclude on what.

"Hey," Ai said, fixing a determined look on, "So what's been on your mind lately anyway? You just haven't been yourself."

Akiye frowned, tearing her eyes from the posters to meet that of her twin's.

"I don't know," She started, "It's hard to explain."

"Just try." Her sister said, "And if you start feeling unsure and stop, I'll do my best and help you figure the rest out, 'kay?" She made it sound like it was a difficult math problem Akiye needed help with. She wished this feeling was as simple as an equation. At least there were books to help with that sort of thing.

"Just…" She fidgeted, clasping and unclasping her hands, "I don't know…do you…do you ever feel like you're not…" She stopped, feeling like a dumb child. She felt her body temperature rise in time with her embarrassment. She sighed.

Ai raised her eyebrows and gestured her head forward, making the sign for her sister to continue.

"Do you ever feel like...like you're missing a piece of you…?"

Ai blinked, "What do you mean?" She was totally confused now. Her twin was strange, yes. But this was the weirdest question she'd ever asked.

Aki bit her bottom lip and set her eyes back on the wall. "Like…missing a part of you? Half full. A yearning for something more...I don't know, really…the right words to use and all that..."

Ai nodded some. She could understand what she meant, but she couldn't grasp the why of it. What was there for her to yearn for, to miss?

Akiye sighed again. She hadn't had much time to really think on the matter. And when she did, she never thought quite hard enough; something always blocked her from getting to that answer she needed.

They both sat in silence, thinking the same thing over; trying to find an answer.

"I just want to run." Ai looked up, surprised with the comment from Aki.

"Run? Like, runaway? If you mean just plain old running, then go outside tomorrow, we have parks for a reason." Ai said. _And here I thought being a big sister would mean helping Akiye out with first loves, serious relationships and schooling; not psychology._

Aki let out a frustrated breath, mainly from her inability to put her feelings into words; understandable and quick to the point words. She hated beating around the bush.

She groaned; shifting her position from squatting, to wrapping her arms around her legs and leaning her chin on the top of her knees. Her foot twitched a careless rhythm on Ai's purple quilt.

"I feel like I'm missing something; something that makes me up to be me. A full me. I think there's just something out there that I need to get or find or meet, whatever it is I have to do, I don't know, but I need it desperately!" She couldn't stand holding it in anymore. She hated 'something's'; 'something's' were things Unknown, which you couldn't quite label yet.

Ai frowned, staring at her twin as she tried her best to keep from snapping before she crawled forward and wrapped her arms around Aki and pushed her against her front; cradling her twin to her body regardless that they were the same height. Resting her chin on her sister's shoulder, she felt Akiye shake at keeping her emotions in check. Aki could be wily, but was normally pretty docile, but lately something had caused her to have a personality switch and a half.

"You know it is okay to cry; every once in a while." She said, "You keep your emotions so closed in, so you should expect freak outs like this…" She petted Aki's hair as she rocked slightly; trying her best to do the same methods their mother did when they were upset.

"I hate crying." Her twin's muffled voice responded. "My face gets all itchy and red and don't get me started on the waterfall my nose becomes when that happens." She pushed away from Ai, shifting her position to a more comfortable one but made no move to leave the embrace.

Ai laughed a little at her sister's comment; stubborn till the end, even with her close to balling her eyes out.

"But really," Ai said, "On how you're feeling. It's pretty confusing, but maybe we should talk with 'kaa-san about it. She'd probably know what to do to help." She fingered a piece of her twin's black hair.

"As long as it doesn't involve me being instituted, I'm all for it." She sister cracked, before she obviously started to doze off, Ai not far behind her.

"…hey."

"Yeah?" Ai asked.

"Sorry 'bout today, yeah know, for hitting you…" Aki was drawling her words out, sleep trying to keep a hold of her.

Ai yawned, "It's okay. Just don't be in a hurry to start a fight every time I grab you; got it?" She slid back into her pillows, Aki going with her.

"…and for slapping you..."

"It's okay." Her head was feeling fuzzy.

"…and for biting you…"

"Aki, I get the point."

"…and for--" Her words went muffled as Ai slapped a pillow over Akiye's face to shut her up.

"Oyasumi."

--

Dawn came with the sun blinding through the windows of the Master bedroom, regardless of the drapes covering them.

Ayame opened her eyes, glaring as she moved her hand up and hitting the 'Snooze' button on her alarm clock before she had the energy to turn it off properly. Thankfully it was Sunday, so she didn't have to wake the girls up.

She rolled to her left side, shifting her form as she stepped onto the cool wood flooring and headed out of the room to check on them none the less.

She made her way to Ai's room, skipping over Akiye's room when she noticed her youngest's door was cracked open and her scent was heaviest in the eldest's. Peeking in she grinned at the joined lump in Ai's bed, Ai's arm thrown carelessly over her twin's face which had a pillow over it (She couldn't quite figure out why. How could she breathe?). Pleased to see the girls had made-up without having to force them to; she headed for the Master bathroom, intent on a shower before she did anything else.

Besides, she had to look presentable for the confrontation she needed to make for today.

--

Ai was the first to wake up as she glanced at the clock, noticing it to be half past nine. She yawned as she tried to stretch but realized she couldn't and look down.

Aki was still asleep and clinging to her sister; a pillow over her face. Ai forgot to take it off after her sister finally quit rambling in her sleepiness. She picked up a corner and peeked under, glad to hear her twin still breathing even with the heavy cotton over her mouth but wrinkled her nose at the smell of Aki's morning breath. Ew.

She yawned again as she shimmied her way slowly out from under her sister trying to keep her from waking up, and slipping on to the floor of her room. Getting on two feet she tip-toed her way to the bathroom she and Akiye shared. Her sister's breath made her consider her own more closely, and had her wanting to brush her teeth desperately.

--

There was a specific code to confronting people. You had to have the decency to come clean and well groomed; showing your vanity and arrogance against them. Yet you had to have the right air of 'I could be doing something important, then speaking to the likes of you' with the equal amount of confidence (Not cockiness), to which Ayame believed as she thought to herself as she rummaged in her closet for a set of casual clothing before pulling out a thin shirt and decent skirt. She never had been a pants type of girl.

She didn't bother with any accessories, they weren't needed. She grabbed a pair of flats and headed down stairs, hearing the water running in her girls' bathroom. She made her way into the entrance of the house, coming to a small table with a phone and notepad laid. She grabbed the pen that rested next to the pad, writing a quick note, before she slipped her flats on and went out the door.

--

Akiye was having another one of her indescribable dreams again as she twisted and turned in Ai's bed, her body temperature rising causing her to overheat.

_There was a buzz of life amongst the camp of 30 or so men, all clad in armors and fur of different colors, wrapped around their waists and arms. It was dark, with only the large campfire they had going keeping it from being completely black; a shiver went down her spine as she subconsciously knew they needed no light to see; only it was of necessity to keep warm in the bite of the night._

_Along the mens' sides were wolves with their eyes aglow from the yellow flames, making her think they were more then mere wolves you'd see in a forest._

_While a dream, she could clearly smell the stench of Sake, but she couldn't identify the second smell…it made her senses stir at it, awakening something deep._

_And in all her nervousness and confusion…she wanted to be there. She wanted to feel that thrill of the Hunt, the Chase._

_She twitched, feeling what she'd been trying to find for weeks, an answer._

_This. Whoever these men were, what they did (For how she knew what they do, she didn't know), what they were. She knew that this is what she was looking for; her other half._

--

Ai came back into her bedroom, body and hair wrapped in towels, and looked over to see Aki growling in her sleep. She stared for a good minute before getting over the freak factor and went over to shake her awake.

--

_Aki shivered as she felt the atmosphere change from relaxed to tense, ready for an attack. She glanced around; looking for what they felt was in the area._

_There was a cracking as trees were ripped out of something's way and a guttural cry was heard in the crushed foliage's direction. Soon the strange men were shouting out to each other, speaking of how and when to attack._

_The thing let out another loud cry before Akiye realized it was closing in behind her._

_She ran towards the men, hoping to take cover behind them, but as she looked back again she saw something large and black falling over her (The creature's foot, she guessed?); she wouldn't make it without being crushed._

_She was going to die, wasn't she?_

_She looked forward and tried her best to move quicker._

_She heard the loud 'swoosh' objects made when they were moving at a high velocity. Aki kept her eyes trained ahead, opening her mouth to scream as she felt the air around the thing coming closer, hitting her back before the actual creature did._

_Before she hit the ground, she caught a glancing of two glowing blue orbs._

_How strange…they reminded her…_

--

"Akiye, wake up! Hello, Earth to Aki!" Ai shaked her sister fully, trying to get her up and had been having no luck until Akiye bolted up, slamming their heads together on accident.

Ai fell backwards, grasping her (For the second time) hurting head, tears clinging to her eyes from the pain.

Akiye was sitting up with her eyes dilated and her breathing uneven.

It took a second before Ai stopped moaning over her aching forehead, and looked at her sister. Aki's complexion was pale compared to her tanned skin, and her voice sounded raspy and dry from her heavy panting. Something spooked her pretty bad, she figured.

Ai winced, picking herself up and crawled back into her bed that Aki still occupied. She came up to her twin, and patted the side of Akiye's face, who was still staring dazedly in front of her.

"Bad dream?" She patted again, hoping to knock her sister out of her daze but not as intensely as she had waking up.

Aki focused her eyes, and land them on her twin's face. Ai blinked back.

"Blue." She said it in a pouting way, confused. Ai was just as confused as her now.

"Blue?" What did a color have to do with a bad dream?

Aki nodded off and slid against the pillows. Ai crawled after her.

"What do you mean by blue?" Aki blinked a few times, staring at the ceiling.

"Blue." Akiye said it in the way she did when she believed the person speaking to her was asking the stupidest question in the world, making Ai want to rip her hair out.

"Fine." She huffed and went to change out of her towel for a clean set of clothes.

Aki blinked at her sister's retreating form before slowly getting up and stumbling from the bed; heading for the kitchen.

--

It was still humid out where Ayame was walking to, already close to Noon. She figured the girls were up or in the process of getting up; or so she hoped.

She needed to get home by three if she wanted to keep them from thinking she wasn't out shopping for a friend's wedding. Which she wasn't, but they didn't need to know that.

She had been planning to talk with her 'Visitor' and his friends about their need to get deeper into her business. They were becoming too curious; too close to her girls. She didn't like it.

She knew where they resided, unfortunately, so it took her no time to get to a large building that resembled a rusty warehouse. She didn't understand how they could call this place 'Home'. She looked up at one of the barred windows, frowning as she made her way up the unpaved surrounding to the garage door to the left.

She walked up and knocked on it. It took a few minutes before there was a growling noise and a person kicking at the ground muttering something she couldn't quite hear. She did hear the person on the other side take in a deep breath, though, and the door opened up, revealing a tall blonde man in a pair of ripped jeans, the growling now whines as three large brown wolves were circled around him.

He grinned at her, "Hey, Ayame."

The wolves tried to get close enough to sniff her, but Ayame glared at him before storming past; the man stared where she had been, blinking.

"…okay then."

"Where's Koga?" She growled out. She was walking harshly around the place, looking. She stopped before a fleet of metal stairs, then turned on her heel and caught the blonde's eye.

"Well?" She asked.

The blonde glared, not liking to be pushed around by a female.

"He isn't here."

"Well where is he then?" She returned the glare ten times fold.

"Out. Listen, bitch, Koga isn't here to tell me otherwise, but I'm not telling you jack."

Her eyes flashed at the comment, "I'm no dog." She growled out.

"Yeah, well the way you're living in the 'Domesticated Paradise' as such, you are." He snarled.

She bit back her snarky comment (And her indignant anger), and addressed her business.

"Since he isn't here then, I have a message for you to give back to him. I want him to keep his men the hell away from my home, family, and to stay out of my life all together. Got it?" She stomped past him again, but was stopped by the man's hand wrapped around her arm.

"I'll tell him, but I make no promise that he'll go with it. We stick together, Ayame, no matter how much you keep pushing away your Heritage." With that, he pushed her arm out of his hand and walked away.

Ayame just stared at him, before she noticed the other scarcely placed males up top leaning on the railings that made the barrier of the stairway on the second floor, looking down at the scene she was making.

She left quietly, refusing to give into the man's bait and made her way home.

--

Akiye was rummaging through the cupboards, three strips of Nori in her mouth, left over rice from her untouched dinner, and was currently looking for the bottle of soy sauce. You'd think a tall bottle like it would be easy to find, she thought as she sighed.

After checking the third shelf again, she finally found the glass bottle and put her right foot pointed down while her one hand cradled the soy sauce and container of rice to her chest and the other limb was resting on the counter, balancing herself before she jumped off.

Unfortunately, when she was about to fly off, the kitchen servant from last night walked in.

"Miss?" He said while staring wide eyed at her. She blinked before really looking at herself; taking in her being in her pajamas still, with her mouth full of dried seaweed, right arm full of ingredients, and her bare feet on the clean counters. Not the best image she wanted to give the new guy.

"Uh, yeah?" He looked at her once more before shaking his head.

"Nothing; but really, if you needed to reach something I could have gotten it for you."

She grinned around the Nori, "Yeah, but you weren't around yet," She hopped off the counter, "And I figured you were sleeping, so I didn't want to wake you up. No biggie." She set the bottle and container down on another counter before pulling out the slices of Nori out of her mouth (Which were now soggy on one half, she noted).

The servant sighed before he walked over to where she was, grabbing a plate out and setting it before her.

"Thanks." Aki said, moving the plate closer, "So what's your name? I think 'kaa-san told me but I don't remember it." She spoke up as she went to get chopsticks from a drawer. The servant watched her, before responding.

"Hansuke."

"Cool. Hans." She said as she turned, the servant reaching for the rice and soy sauce, intending to make the girl's breakfast. Before he could make it he got his hand slapped away. He stared in shock at the offended limb and looked up at the offender. Akiye waved her chopsticks in the air and set them down within grabbing reach.

"I'm capable of making my own breakfast." She closed her eyes and gave a joking grin. "No worries this early, 'kay?"

Hansuke sighed again, and gave Aki an amused smile.

"Just this once I suppose."

Aki nodded, pleased that she had won, and went to work on making her meal.

* * *

Hallo.

I wrote this up last night on the laptop while babysitting for a new family; after I was able to pry the eldest off my shoe, the middle from trying to convince me she slept in the closet and sometimes the metal toy shopping cart and the youngest that it was okay to go to bed without his Pirate Book (I was worried he'd poke an eye out sleeping with it and its hard edges), was able to finish working on chapter two.

Please review!

~A'n'S


	3. Something's Not Adding Up

A'n'S here & Ivyvein here. Had a busy, fun & crazy weekend that involved watching 15 children, blue light sabers, and 'fashion shows'.

I don't have much to say here, but for those people, who have added this story to their favorites and/or alert, please review. I don't bite. ;) It can just be 'Nice', 'Update Soon' or 'Good', and nothing else. You don't even have to log in. Just let me know that they're people interested in this story.

It's hard to work for a silent audience.

* * *

Ai puffed a piece of wet hair out of her face as she made her way down the stairs. It was pretty quiet, and it made her worry. Her twin was only this quiet when she was upset or guilty, she thought as she came to the first landing, looking for any trace of her sister.

She was about to go left, when she heard voices to the right and changed course, heading towards the noise.

--

Hansuke watched as Akiye proceeded to stab the rolls of rice wrapped Nori in half with more force than necessary.

"You do know you can just eat those whole, right?" He said.

Aki looked like at him like an idiot, rolling her eyes. "They're too big to eat." She responded. Hansuke looked at the half-dollar sized roll-ups before glancing back at Aki. "Really?" Sarcasm was very evident.

"Don't get smart with me." Akiye glared.

"Well considering your big mouth, eating those won't be hard." Aki looked over at her sister, not noticing her presence. She stuck her tongue out at Ai.

Ai returned the antic before coming over and sitting on one of the stools under the Island. Akiye went back to stabbing, but realized that during her childish attitude towards her sister, Hansuke has taken the knife from her.

"Hey!" She said after staring at her empty hand for a good Ten seconds. Hans blinked at her, waving the knife slightly. She 'hmphed' and grudgingly took her plate and went to the table in the dining room, hearing her sister's stool scrap back as she followed.

"Why are you following me, Ai?" Akiye said, glancing back at her sister as they came into the dining hall, taking a seat.

"Because I want to know what it was you had been muttering about, duh." Ai responded, taking her seat next to Akiye and making sure it was the closest to the door in case Akiye tried to bolt; again.

Aki looked at Ai, before taking a bit out of one of the roll-ups. "Muttering?"

"Yes, muttering. Or whatever you call your speech after waking up." She said, grabbing for one of her Twin's rolls.

"I got my spit on that, by the way; just thought you'd like to know before you took a bite." Ai looked at the roll-up in her fingers, shrugged and took a bite anyway.

"Like I care," She said, chewing, "I've had to share straws and sippy cups with you since we were kids; got the same genes, your germs don't hurt me." She finished the roll-up, heading for another one.

"And you say I have the big mouth. I haven't even finished my first one!" She glared half-heartedly.

Ai shrugged.  
"So anyways," She said, "Back to the issue at hand; Muttering, you, dreaming. Blue?"

Akiye stared, trying to remember. "Blue." She said. It sounded familiar. Unfortunately she forgot what she dreamt about when her stomach started growling when she got up.

"I don't remember," She started, "I mean, I remember saying 'Blue', but not what it referenced to." She finished her roll-up, gave a threatening look to Ai, before grabbing two roll-ups, making sure her sister didn't take all of them.

Ai had a pondering face on as she leaned back in her chair, all posture and perfection gone with their mother not home to correct her.

"Well, just try to remember I guess. Maybe something will trigger it back." She said, before glancing over her shoulder. "Where's 'kaa-san?"

Aki stopped munching and looked at her sister, "I don't know. She was home earlier, I could tell. But I don't think she is now." Ai turned her gaze to Akiye.

"How do you know?" She asked. They hadn't seen their mother at all this morning, so how would she know she had left?

Aki shrugged, "I don't really know how, but I do." She said, staring at her sister with a creepy understanding look and grabbed another roll-up.

"…okay then." Ai said as she got up and left the dining room intent to see if what Akiye said was true.

--

By the time Ayame got home, it was already in the afternoon. She was still fuming over what the male wolf had said to her. Where does he get off calling me a domesticated, pampered, bitch? She thought to herself as she slid open the front door.

She tried to calm herself, mentally berating herself. She didn't need to girls to get curious and ask what was wrong, but planned an excuse for her anger, just in case she slipped up.

"'kaa-san?" She looked up from taking her flats off to see Ai standing on the landing.

"Oh, hi Ai." She said, standing erect as she walked up to where her eldest was.

"Where have you been?" Ai asked staring at her mother, noticing how she seemed upset in some manner.

Ayame smiled at Ai, but mentally grumbled at having noisy children. "Out helping for the wedding, dear." She said as she put her arm around Ai's shoulder, leading her back into the hallway. "Where's your sister?" She asked.

"In the dining room."

Ayame sniffed the air, covering it up by pretending to yawn, noting her daughter had long since left the dining room and changed her route.

Ai looked at her mother strangely as her mother walked past the doors to the dining room.

"'kaa-san?"

"Sorry dear, but I've got a hunch she's in the kitchen again."

Ai blinked. Again? But 'kaa-san has apparently been out for the day, so how would she know we've been in the kitchen already? She thought as she continued to follow her mother.

--

Akiye looked out the kitchen window, noticing her mother's presence coming closer. She's home.

Aki moved to be more comfortable in her stool as she heard her mother's footsteps along with a pair she guessed to be Ai's.

"Welcome home, 'kaa-san. Hey, Ai." She said without moving her head towards the opening door.

Ayame tried to smile but found she couldn't. Her youngest's actions with being able to detect anyone in the house without checking was unnerving her. Their home's walls were well inculcated, so for Akiye to be able to know she and Ai were coming down the hall would be impossible. Unless…? Ayame's face went from panic to disbelief, No, it couldn't be, but…she's showing the signs.

"You okay 'kaa-san?" Ai was tugging her shirt's sleeve. Akiye looked over at their mother, and Ayame noticed she was sniffing slightly with a perplexed look on her face before she got up from her stool, stretching.

"So where did you go that you needed to leave so early?" Akiye asked, looking her mother in the eyes. Ai stepped in, repeating what their mother had said earlier.

"Again? How big is this wedding going to be?" Aki blinked as she came within two feet of her family.

Ayame closed her eyes and smiled, "A lot of planning goes into a wedding, dear; a lot of work and patience." Akiye nodded slightly.

"I think most of the work comes after the wedding when the couple needs to pay for marriage counseling when the bride becomes a Zilla." Aki grinned; pouncing their mother, which in turn became an embrace.

Ayame laughed, "Don't tell me you missed me; I was only gone for a few hours." She said as she patted Akiye's back.

"Okay, I didn't. Being stuck with Ai only can get pretty boring." She responded, grinning into her mother's shirt, peeking over and looking at her twin. Ai rolled her eyes.

"Being with you isn't exactly a cake walk either, Sis." She smirked at Akiye.

Aki gave a small noise for a response, still clinging to Ayame's shirt. Their mother looked down, wondering why Akiye was still attached to her front.

"Aki?" She asked, giving a gentle tug to the back of her daughter's pajama top. She mumbled and buried her nose deeper into the fabric. "What's wrong?"

"You smell good. Did you buy a new perfume or something? You've never had this scent before." Ayame's eyes widened, doing a quick analysis of her day, noting that the warehouse was the only place she'd been. The only people she'd come in contact were the citizens on the sidewalks and…the men at the warehouse, she concluded.

"Oh, just something I found while shopping." She lied, pulling on Akiye's shirt a bit harder, finally unlatching her from her front. Akiye blinked up at her, looking confused.

"Huh," She said, "It just smelled sort of…masculine. Kind of cozy, too." She mumbled. She didn't undersdtand what she meant when she said that, but apparently her mother did for she immediately changed the subject.

"Well, I need to go make some phone calls." Ayame said, doing her best to put on a cheery disposition. Akiye noted it seemed forced to her.

Ai perked up, "I was planning on going to the library today, 'kaa-san. Since there's no school, you wouldn't mind, would you?" Ayame looked over at her eldest, nodding.

"Of course; I don't need you being cooped up on your day off doing nothing around the house." She turned her gaze to Akiye.

"And what are you doing today?"

Aki looked down at herself, "Get dressed I guess," She muttered, "Maybe help you with those phone calls afterwards?" She looked over at her mother.

Ayame flinched, seeing she had to make another lie. "Oh, don't worry about helping me, dear." She smiled. "It won't take me long, by the time you finish getting dressed I'll be done." And I'll make sure of that, She added to herself mentally.

Akiye sighed, "Okay." She walked past her sister and mother and made her way upstairs. Ayame watched her go, before turning back to Ai.

Ai gave a sheepish smile while shrugging as she walked up and past her mother, Ayame following.

"You should probably head out soon," Ayame said, "The library closes in just over an hour."

Ai nodded, "Right. See you when I get back then." She said as she headed out to the front part of the house grabbing her shoes.

Ayame followed her movements as Ai got her shoes on and opened the front door.

"Be safe." She said.

Her daughter turned around, "Of course." She waved, and slid the door closed. Ayame stared at it for a few minutes, before making her way to her office in the back portion of the house.

--

It was late when Ai got to the library, rushing up to the doors knowing she only had about an hour left to do what she came here for. She opened the glass door and turned left, smiling at the librarian who nodded back before she found the area where the computers were.

She found one that was farther away from the other ones as she took the seat in front of the computer, setting her bag down.

She opened a browser screen and began to use the search engine, researching before she checked anything out.

'Any clues to what Aki said earlier…she was growling for starters…and what does 'blue' have to do with anything…?' She thought.

She typed in Blue to see what came up, looking for any leads.

'Blue- Wikipedia'

She clicked on it, and scanned the page for any clue to her sister's mind. She kept reading becoming frustrated that none of it made sense. She was about to give up when her cellphone (Which she forgot to turn off) went off loudly, causing the near-by people to glare at her.

She winced and whispered an apology before grabbing her phone, realizing it was a text message and not someone actually calling her.

Akiye? She wondered as her twin's name appeared on the screen as she flipped it open.

'Eyes.'

Eyes; Maybe it was eyes? It would make sense. I doubt she saw something like a blue jay in her dream that would make her growl…or unless she was hungry. She smirked at the amusing mental image of her sister growling and trying to catch a blue jay before she closed her cellphone screen thankful her twin was actually trying to put thought into Ai's question, and grabbed a notepad out of her bag writing down what she thought might be what her sister saw in her dream.

Out of curiosity, she typed went back to her internet screen and typed in 'Growl'. Wikipedia again, she saw.

'Growling or growl is a low, guttural vocalization produced by predatory animals as a warning to others, as a sign of aggression, or to express anger. Low or dull rumbling noises may also be emitted by human beings when discontent with something.'

Well since she's obviously not an animal she gets the human analysis, She thought as she looked down at the 'See Also' section.

'Dog attack

Bark (dog)

Dog'

Maybe it had to do something with an animal.

I know she doesn't like dogs much. Maybe she saw a dog... With blue eyes? She bit her lip as she went back to the search engine. But it doesn't seem to add up!

She used a different search engine with 'Blue Eye Animals', and began scanning the abundance of dog pictures with blue eyes.

Well, She thought, dogs with blue eyes are as close to anything I'm finding. She frowned and closed the screens with an air of aggravation.

She grabbed her things and headed her way out the door, her head bowed down some trying to think about everything which in turn meant a whole lot of nothing, (which was obviously Akiye's involvement).

--

Aki tugged her shirt the rest of the way over her head and damp hair before she heard the ringing of her cellphone receiving a text message and grabbed it.

'Not much help. Looked around, didn't find much. I'm coming home. Than we're sitting down to pick your brain, got it?'

Aki sent a message back, 'Why can't we stand while doing that?'

She waited for five minutes until Ai responded, 'Because this is going to take awhile, knowing your thick head. :P'

Akiye snorted and set the phone down, grabbing her jeans and proceeded to do a shimmying hop to get into them. Buttoning the denim up, she went along with tidying up her room that had been messed up in her process of getting dressed until her twin got back.

When she had thrown her last article of clothing back into her dresser drawer, she looked at the clock. 'Three already? Ai's right, I do take forever in getting dressed…'

She stood there for awhile, before wondering if her mother was still making phone calls. She wanted to know who she was calling, so she decided she'd find out.

--

Ai figured Aki got the last message and had no witty comeback since she never got a response. She rolled her eyes, knowing how her sister would never let anyone know they were right, but just gave an immature reaction that usually involved pouting, sulking, or a vibe of distaste enough to make one want to gag.

She had finally reached the house and rushed in, taking off and setting her shoes neatly by the door before she headed for the stairs looking for Akiye.

--

Aki was crouched down the hall which was close to her mother's office door, not wanting to be seen in case her mother used that freaky way of locating her children and found Akiye doing something she shouldn't be (Like right now).

She could make out most of the conversation, but it didn't really make sense. Who was it she was talking to? She guessed it was the same person who had called during dinner, but she wasn't sure. And why did she use the word 'We' so much?

"You!"

Aki jumped about a foot, and slapped a hand over her mouth from screaming and blowing her cover. She turned wide eyes to where the outburst came from and saw Ai.

She closed her eyes and let out her held in breath, and looked back at her twin.

"Hey sis, have a good time at the library…?"

Ai made a face, "I would have had you given me more information," She started, "And then I come home to find you eavesdropping. Again." She ground out the last word.

Aki sucked her bottom lip in and stared at the floor.

"Don't try that; I'm immune to any look of pity you give me."

Aki looked up, "So does that make me the lying, eavesdropping brat and you the coldhearted and unsympathetic popularity queen?"

"Stop making a joke out of this!"

"…I was joking?"

Ai glared.

Aki shrugged and went back to her bad habit, she had a feeling something important may come out of this and didn't want to miss out.

Ai huffed and kneeled next to Akiye, "You're going to get in trouble," She said. "And why do you need to eavesdrop on 'kaa-san so much now?"

Aki glanced at her twin, "She's hiding something. I just know it. Things just aren't adding up."

Ai rolled her eyes, "She's been busy. So she's probably stressing out over helping her friend and everything."

Aki crossed her arms, eyes still focused on the door and the phone conversation; fully aware in case she needed to make a quick break for it.

Ai prodded, "Come on, she's not hiding anything-" She was about to finish her sentence before their mother's last words on the phone made them both stop.

'…I love you too. I'll try to see you as soon as I can, Gramps.'

Ai blinked, also hearing. "But our great-grandfather's dead."

Aki gave her sister a flat-look, "So she's not hiding anything, huh?"

* * *

If you don't understand the last statement, then re-read chapter one. There's a line in there stating their great-grandfather died and their money comes from his Will.

Please review. I don't bite. :] And if there's anything misspelled, let me know. I'll fix it immediately. You can't dilly-dally when Grammar Nazis watch your words. ;)


	4. Eavesdropping and Files

Either chapter 5 or 6 will have Koga finally make his appearance.

Chapter 4:

* * *

It had been about an hour since Ai and Akiye had overheard their mother speaking to their supposed (You can't talk to dead people on the phone, argued Aki) great-grandfather on the phone. Ai had convinced (Dragged) Akiye to leave before their mother came out of her office, no doubt already knowing they had been hiding around the corner.

After Ai put (Flung) Aki into the connecting room of the hallway to their mother's office, she slid the door shut behind her with a contemplative face. It was Akiye that spoke first.

"So, am I still wrong about thinking she's lying?" She mocked, eyeing the screen door separating her from the office as she heard her mother's feet heading into the other direction.

"Don't Aki; you know 'kaa-san's office has _always_ been off limits. She'll snap if you go in there." Ai bit her lip, and got her legs ready in case she had to pounce on her sister from disobeying.

"Did you ever wonder _why_ it's always been that way?"

Ai shrugged, "No, I always figured it was because she didn't want us to mess up her stuff; she puts delicates in there."

Akiye glared at the polished floor, "Or she doesn't want us to find something she doesn't want us to." She looked up at her twin's face and Ai was taken back by the determine expression on her sister's face. It scared her a bit by how hardened that look was.

"I know I say this a lot, but please Aki, don't." She held her gaze with Akiye. "I know you've been feeling pretty weird lately, but I don't think messing around in 'kaa-san's stuff is going to help fix it."

Her twin tucked her left leg under and curled her arms around the bent right one, tucking her head in the folded limbs, but other wise stayed still.

"Aki?" Her twin didn't move an inch.

"Ak-"

"I can try. I have a gut feeling that what I need is hidden in that room of 'kaa-san's." She raised her head and stared past her twin at the closed door, her gaze intense.

"And you," She turned to face Ai, "Can't stop me."

--

Ayame knew her twins had been hiding in the hall; being able to sense them by their scent made it easy. She berated herself for letting her mouth slip and stating who she was calling. Now she would have to create another cover-up. How long would she be able to keep doing so? How many more slip ups until one of her girls found out?

She knew Akiye was showing signs while Ai was not. She was thankful that at least one of them was enjoying normalcy.

She locked the door to her office, and walked off towards the main part of the house.

--

Ai sighed, knowing that it would get ugly fast if she went in Akiye's path to get to their mother's office.

"Just…don't get caught, alright?" She hated not being able to stop her. She and Aki may have been twins, but Aki could become horribly vicious if crossed far enough to where it scared her. It wouldn't be the first time Aki drew Ai's blood from fighting.

"Thanks." Akiye slipped past her into the hallway and Ai shut it slowly behind her. Praying that her twin wouldn't be stupider than she was already acting, she headed off to find their mother.

--

Aki should have known their mother would lock the door. She wasn't stupid. She squatted and crossed her arms, glaring at the lock. It was the only door besides the front and back doors that had a lock.

She knew something good was in there, but she wasn't a thief, so she knew nothing about lock picking. All she knew was what she saw in movies or television programs.

'_The only thing I have is a bobby pin…would that work?'_ She thought over it as she grabbed the lone accessory in her plain black hair. Covered with a jeweled dragonfly on the top of it, she figured it would work and stuck it into the slit in the lock's front and jerked it around a few times, having no clue what she was doing.

After a few tries she started to feel the gears in the metal and tried one more time and heard a satisfying pop as the door became unlocked.

_'Yes!'_ She mentally cheered at being able to do the task (Even though it was technically illegal) and quietly slid the door open.

She poked her head in and than pulled herself inside, sliding the door shut behind her.

So far the office looked typical; desk, chair, bookcases, and a file cabinet. The metal box is what caught her attention the most.

_'If she's got something useful she's most likely filed it...' _ She tip-toed over to the file drawer and looked at the labels on each of the three doors.

**'Bills'**

**'Letters'**

**Personals' **

_'Well obviously I won't find anything under bills.' _Akiye thought, glancing between 'Personal' and 'Letters'. She grabbed the handle of the third drawer and looked at the labels on each folder. 

_'Dates…well, let's start from the beginning…'_ She flipped through the top and found the very last file, dating back to a year before she and her sister were born.

When she grabbed the edge and opened it, a soft smack followed as a small square sheet of paper fell out and on to the floor. Akiye stared at it for a while but looked back at the papers in the folder but they were mainly snippets of notes, invites to events, and other odds and ends from random people she didn't know of, so she saw no reason to read further. She glanced back at the little paper before grabbing it and turned it around; discovering it to be a photograph.

She ripped her eyes off the picture when she heard the soft padding of feet. In a panic, she stuffed everything in the file, except the photo in which she put in her shorts pockets. Shutting the file drawer, she checked the room over for any other disturbances. Finding none she raced out the door, locking it and sliding it shut, checking either side of the hallway before racing to the right where she had been with Ai, planning on heading to up to her room.

--

Ayame felt that something was off, what with her oldest suddenly appearing so shortly after eavesdropping and her youngest nowhere to be found. Her gut was telling her that Akiye was up to no good and wondered why Ai was with her where as she was the one always stopping her twin (Or at least trying to). Which made her even more worried that Aki's 'voice of reason' wasn't with her.

She nodded to what Ai said, even though she didn't know what she was talking about. The paranoia was eating at her, so she turned a soft smile to her daughter.

"Hm, so where's your sister, dear?"

Ai twitched but caught the action halfway, even though Ayame saw the slight muscle spasm; which confirmed something was up.

"She went outside."

"Outside? Alright…" She drifted the sentence and glanced to the left of the hallway, averting her eyes and glaring behind her. She knew that was a lie, she would have sensed her youngest being outdoors.

She had a feeling Akiye had a plan when she sensed her twins in the office's hallway; it was obviously not Ai's idea.

She stopped and spun on her heel, walking back towards the area of her office.

"'kaa-san…?" The worried tone Ai held in her voice made her stand on end and quicken her pace.

"I forgot something in my office. Be right back." She threw a smile over her shoulder, turning it back in front of her and making an almost dash to the office.

_'Oh crap!'_ Ai bit her lip and stared where her mother had left; worrying that Akiye had finally pushed it too far.

--

Akiye had only a few spare seconds before she saw the shadow of someone walking down the hallway and bolted, not caring if it was just one of the maids or her mother.

Running faster, she cut the hallway's end, sliding the door shut and skidding on the floor; gaining her a few raspberries on her legs, but otherwise fine.

Hearing the feet going into the office, she let out a breath and slumped on the floor. After taking a few breathers, she slowly raised herself up and made her way to her room, intent on looking closer at the photo without being caught with it in her possession.

--

When Akiye was turning the corner, Ai nearly ran into her as they both were speed-walking in opposite directions.

"Watch it!" Aki blurted as she hit the floor at the same time her twin did.

"You watch it! I came running over to make sure 'kaa-san didn't kill you for breaking the biggest rule, stupid!" Ai snapped, glaring.

Aki blinked, shocked at her sister's out burst and turned her eyes downward; knowing she was wrong but didn't want to admit it.

"Eh, sorry." She muttered, picking herself up and grabbing Ai's hand, dragging her up to make up for running into her.

Ai didn't respond, but huffed, looking at Akiye for a moment.

"So?" She craned her head to the right, looking expectantly.

Aki looked confused, but quickly remembered what Ai was asking.

"No, I didn't." She chewed the inside of her mouth; technically it was the truth, she didn't find anything informational in the small amount of time given and she still hadn't looked at the photograph clearly enough to be able to see if it was a lead or not.

Ai raised an eyebrow but shrugged, which she shortly became a sort of half-hearted condescending for her being right that their mother wasn't hiding anything.

"See? Nothing. So that means she's not hiding anything."

_'Or she's real good at hiding things._' Aki bit her pride back, "Yeah, sure."

"I'm going to relax in my room for a bit before lunch." She walked past Ai, bumping her shoulder playfully with her's.

"Later."

"Right."

--

Ayame practically ran through the door to her office, looking the room up and down for any signs of disturbances. She followed her daughter's scent to her file cabinet; each drawer had been touched, so it took her awhile to figure out that it had been the second drawer. Opening it, she flipped the file labels, sniffing every time she did and located the very last file that had been touched the most.

Her actions halted when she opened the folder, realizing that the one photo she'd kept of him was gone.

It seemed the past really was coming back to haunt her.

--

Aki plopped onto her unmade bed, and stared at the wall for a while before she turned sideways to grab the photograph from her shorts pocket. Turning the glossy paper around, she smoothed it on her mattress, taking in the photo's picture.

In it was a long haired man in his mid twenties wearing a beat-up leather jacket and t-shirt. Whoever took the photo had caught the man unexpectedly, his eyes widened and eyebrow raised. Akiye scanned his face, noting how familiar it looked. She knew she'd never met this man, but something in his blue eyes said otherwise.

She looked down at the small white lines framing the photo and noticed the small writing at the bottom corner.

_'Ko…ga?' _

* * *

I don't mind a bit if you add this to your alert or any other listings on here, but if it's not too much to, ask please R&R!


	5. Normal Living

Chapter Five:

Thank you to all that reviewed (And to those who just added this fiction to their lists).

I will be leaving the 21st and will not return until at the latest the 28th for my Brother's Wedding. Let's hope I don't die breaking my neck walking down the aisle in my bridesmaid wedges from being blinded by the sun. They don't call me Mole Girl for nothing when I'm without sunglasses.

Now, please enjoy the next (And sadly short) installment of The Wolf's Cry.

* * *

It had seemed like forever to Akiye as she still lay on her bed staring at the photo of the man she'd found in her mother's office. She couldn't place him in her memory, but he seemed so familiar. Even with her mother, who hosted parties every so often, she couldn't remember ever seeing him there.

_'Maybe he's dead?'_ Aki thought to herself. But he looked so young in the photo, barely in his mid twenties. He'd probably be in his late thirties by now...

Akiye sighed, rolling onto her side and looking closer at the photo for any sign of where the photo had been taken. There was a building behind him, but she couldn't make out it's sign. It seemed like a club, but she'd never seen one before she so could only guess. When turning the photo and squinting didn't work, she figured she could make it out more with a magnify glass, and reached for the one she kept in her nightstand drawer.

Now with glass in hand, she moved it over the rectangle she guessed to be the building's sign.

_'H.I.T.E.'_

_'Sounds like its pronounced 'Height'...?' _It obviously stood for something, though she couldn't begin to know what. _'But it does sound like a name for a club.'_, she thought.

Having no computer, she'd have to wait until tomorrow when she and Ai left for school for her to do research on the building.

--

Ayame was furious and panicked when she left her office, heading back to the main room where she'd left Ai. All she could think about was Akiye having that photo. She'd spent over a decade hiding everything under the rug, and then her youngest decides to play detective and was snooping through her stuff.

She turned down the path she'd taken but at a much slower pace, and quickly located Ai still where she'd been, biting her lip.

She knew she was going to run out of lies sooner or later, but she was going to keep it up. It was easier to keep things hidden when only one knew what was happening. She just had to keep it that way.

--

Gnawing on her lip, Ai quickly quit when her mother came back five minutes later, looking like she was fuming internally. Which, in her opinion, was much worse than an outwardly fuming person; at least when they were loud about it, you knew what they were thinking and there were no worries over when they would snap at you like the quiet ones.

"'kaa-san?" She asked her mother worriedly.

Ayame raised her head, making eye contact with her daughter; pushing away most of her anger to keep from being questioned.

She put on a smile and petted Ai's short hair in a motherly way when she reached her.

"Um, hi?" Ai said awkwardly. Wasn't she mad?

"I'm fine, dear." Ayame let go and smiled once more before she turned and led Ai to the kitchen. "How about we have something to eat, hm? It's already lunch time."

_'She was furious when she came up, and now she's being overly motherly and happy? What the hell?'_

Ai gave a sheepish smile back, starting to wonder if her mother suffered from Bi-Polar tendencies.

"Uh, sure."

--

Ayame walked ahead of Ai, leading her off to the kitchen area. She would let her girls think nothing was wrong, but keep a very tight watch on Akiye for the moment until something larger arose.

_'I'll let her off for now before I step in.'_

--

The rest of lunch, dinner, and the time in between was the usual to Akiye, so it really didn't stick in her mind. Her mother had been acting odd for the duration of the night, seeming to be restless and didn't let Akiye go anywhere in their home without telling her (Yet she let Ai go to the bathroom without a twenty question survey unlike Aki).

But with all her mother's strange behavior, she could still only think about going to school tomorrow to access the computers there to do her private research.

When she thought she would be left alone, she said her good nights and planned to head to her room when her mother stopped her halfway up the stairs.

"Don't I get a good night hug?"

Aki wasn't sure of what to say, since her mother only embraced them before they left for school, never before their bedtime.

Not wanting to seem rude and start something late at night, she gave a confused smile and let her mother embrace her. She glanced off to the side for a minute before she pulled away.

"See you in the morning." She said quietly and jogged up the stairs, not noticing her mother's pleased look of accomplishment.

--

It was around six that the Mori household's silence was disrupted by the dual buzzing coming from Ai & Akiye's rooms.

The girls' commute was a long one; having to walk twenty-five minutes to the local bus stop, which was another twenty-five. Thankfully the bus's next stop was a ten minute walk to their school and they didn't need to rush with the extra thirty minutes they had before classes.

With a yawn and stretch, Ai slid out of her covers, grabbed her uniform hanging on her desk chair, and left to freshen up in the hallway bathroom. Between the soft padding of her feet on the cool wood floor, she heard a thump from Akiye's room and half awake muttering. Rolling her eyes she slid the bathroom door open and grabbed her tooth brush.

--

In a bundle of blankets and stray pillows Akiye was trying to wake up enough to get on her feet without falling. She knew from the water running Ai was in the bathroom, and she figured since she bathed last night and was fine enough in opting to just dress into her uniform.

While slipping into her sailor uniform, she tried to plan out her best approach to ditching Ai and getting to the computer lab to find where H.I.T.E. was. Since they had thirty minutes before school started, she figured it would be enough time and would hope that Ai's posse would keep her busy enough that she wouldn't notice her disappear for awhile.

--

Around six twenty, the girls we already downstairs and finished with their breakfast; grabbing their bentos for that morning, they made sure they had everything and headed to their mother's office, planning to say their goodbyes before they left for school.

--

Ayame was reading in her office, mainly because she had no calls coming in or plans to work on. She figured things would be fine with Akiye since she had things set, and hoped they went accordingly.

When she flipped the page, she heard her twins walking down the hallway, and glanced at the clock. With its time she knew they were coming to say goodbye before making their way to school, and stepped out of her seat and set her book down, and met them at the door.

--

Ai was about to open the door when it slid open before she could. She heard a mock pleased noise from Akiye.

"Did we finally get motion-activated doors?"

Ai rolled her eyes for the second time that morning, and looked up to her mother's face.

"Ohayo, 'kaa-san."

Their mother returned the greeting, and stepped out of her office, closing it behind her.

"Well I guess I'll see you two when you get home." She embraced them one at a time, and Akiye wasted no time in trying to lead Ai down the hall when the hug-fest was over.

Ai waved to their mother, half-dragged by Aki down the way, and grabbed their shoes. While putting them on, Ai looked over at Aki.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get to school? Normally _I_ drag you…not the other way around." When she had her shoes on, she grabbed her bag and waited for Aki by the door.

"I just want to…you know? Don't want to be late." She made sure she had all her stuff before following Ai out the door.

"Right…"

* * *

Okay... I apologize for the lack of length. I'm working on a small schedule here, and I'll be leaving in about four days…so I'll try to work on chapter six as much as I can. We've been having thunderstorms here so every time I begin to work, I have to shut down every other night. But Koga finally makes his appearance in chapter six. :]


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